We packed up the Subaro (aka “Subie”) and waved goodbye to LA as we hit I-40, which we would take the next 2700 miles until we reached our new home: Raleigh.
We were ready for a new adventure, and an activity-packed road trip. The expansive city evaporated in the review mirror, and the bitter-sweet excitement battled so many wonderful memories flooding our memories. (And a special thank you to everyone who made the city hard to leave.)
But we weren’t quite through with California yet.
Armed with a road trip guidebook, and hours of research, we had an agenda: make this the most fun road trip possible, leading us to our first stop: Calico Ghost Town.
Calico Ghost Town
This spot would have originally flown under the radar, but I’m beyond happy that we didn’t skip it. Built on the remains of an abandoned mining town from the late 1800s, this spot feels far from a tacky trap.
Now both of us are very thrifty, and will avoid spending extra cash if we can, but we were more than willing to pay the small fee to enter the park. There are small tours that you can pay a few bucks to enjoy, but most of the park is free otherwise. Enjoy self-guided tours of an old home, shop around, check out the old church, and more.
We decided to get the full experience and were willing to pay a bit extra to walk through one of the mines and go on a short train trip around the area. I could have taken or left the self-guided mine tour, but I’m grateful we decided to take the train loop. The tour was informational and beautiful, and we were lucky enough to hit it during golden hour, giving the land an extra special glow.
10/10 happy we stopped. The uncrowded park was a delight.
Grand Canyon & Petrified Forest
I’m disappointed we missed the open hours of the “Roadkill Cafe” and I hope someone one day goes and tells me how it is, but we landed late that night and stayed at an inexpensive, unremarkable hotel close enough to the Grand Canyon that we could get there right away in the morning.
And that’s exactly what we did. It was the shortest day of the year, and we were dead set on making it to both the Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest in a single day (a huge feat.)
We ended up walking a mile of the perimeter of the Grand Canyon, which is jaw-dropping, and in the future, I will plan a trip where I can spend several days hiking deeper in the canyon, but for today, we had a mission, so after an hour and a half, we were on our way east again.
I’m not sure how, but we made Petrified Forest with an hour of sunlight left. This is another park I wish I had a full day to explore, but even in that meager hour, the sights blew me away and looked like we had landed on a different planet. After two short hikes, I could tell that we hadn’t even scratched the surface of the beauty this park held.
Historic El Rancho Motel
It would be hard to top this motel experience. From the lit-up, Vegas-y, salon-style entry, to the record player in the room, this motel was one of the highlights of our trip. The lobby was decked out for Christmas and wrapped around a huge fireplace. I’m not sure how the motel managed cozy and luxury simultaneously, but they did. This Historic Landmark was a Hollywood hotspot for western shoots where they boast that "cowboy cool hosted Tinseltown glamour."
The whole stay was fun. The rooms were unique and new-age vintage. Ours donned a full wall portrait of Route 66, an old red car bumper sticking out from the wall, a working record player, and car detailing.
Bonus: the dining room, "The Silver Screen", had a "Ronald Ragen" burger that came with a side of jelly beans. What more could you want?
Route 66 Auto Museum
Obvious sight-seeing stops are starting to get less frequent, so we started to get creative with how we spent our days. This included stopping at an auto museum with a $5 entry. If you don’t like cars, you still will appreciate the collection, and if you like cars, you’ll really appreciate the collection. Not to mention the 50s-style snack bar.
There are lines and lines of old school mustangs, pick-ups, and corvettes, all shiny and pristine. We played a game where we had to pick our favorites from each line-up, being very deliberate about how we picked a pickup last row, so we needed a sports car this round.
Cadillac Ranch
What is a trip on Route 66 without Cadillac Ranch? This Amarillo, Texas stop sports a line of old Caddies forever rooted into the ground, bumper first. (Think a line of tulips, but instead of tulips it's just beat-up old cars whose original colors are undetectable.) We stopped after the sunset, so there was an extra spooky feel.
The coolest part is that each car is covered in graffiti, and extra spray paint cans are lying around just waiting to be used.
An excellent stop, but I would recommend going during the day. It’s a bit of a ways off the road and there are no lights to show what’s going on.
The Cutest Diner in Oklahoma
The next day our goal was to locate the cutest local diner. This happens to be in small-town Sayre, Oklahoma. (I don't dedicate. a section to any other dining experience, so you know I'm passionate about this.)
I won’t lie, when we pulled into the parking lot of Branbar Diner I wanted to make a run for it. This tiny metal building had no visible windows from the front, and when we walked in, every patron (though there were not many in this small space) turned to look at us.
It was obvious not many out-of-town people from out of town stopped by, but the waitress was beyond kind and helpful. The food was incredible, and after paying LA prices for the last two years, this felt like pocket change. We had some great coffee (the kind even I can drink black and still enjoy) for $1 with refills and a bonus cup to-go, to which the waitress tried to chase us down to make sure we took. (Please sponsor me, Branbar, I'm your biggest fan.)
Tennessee Time
A stop in Memphis meant a trip to Gus’s Chicken. This is a place with only a few things on the menu, but you know anything you choose will be incredible. 10/10 - wish I had gone to the one in LA.
The next few days were dedicated to friends and family. Lots of laughs, home-brewed beer, and cozy nights. I truly think I’m falling in love in Tennessee (don’t tell Minnesota.)
Landing in Raleigh
Our final leg of the trip was a sprint. We were eager to finally arrive at our new home.
Neither of us had been to Raleigh (don't judge us, we are merely adventurous people), and have spent the last few months exploring the triangle area. We’ve been surprised in the best way possible by the kindness of strangers, the walkable downtown packed with good food, museums, unique coffee spots, and pockets of niche businesses.
Our fun-loaded road trip was merely a preface to how fun our life in Raleigh is turning out to be.
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